Painting your house seems easy enough yet when you walk into a room that hasn’t been painted well, you know it. If you’re thinking about putting up a fresh coat of paint in your house, read our tips on how to master the art of painting.
Painting Your Home: Tips For Doing It Perfectly Every Time
There are a few easy ways that you can ensure that your home will look fabulous after painting. Our tips for interior painting include:
Budget, Plan, And Schedule
Perhaps it should go without saying, but before embarking on any home remodel project, it’s critical that you establish a budget and plan around it. This is no different when it comes to painting your home inside or out, even if this kind of project can seem simple enough.
One of the benefits of tackling home remodeling projects one room at a time is that it provides you with an opportunity to see your plans come to fruition over time. In addition, this also allows you to schedule work around your daily routine (and that of your family) and hold off on things that don’t have to be completed right away.
One thing that may not be easy about scheduling a painting project is coming up with the most efficient way for you to spend your time. Even if you plan out every step from start to finish, this can still lead to delays and unnecessary expenses if things don’t go as smoothly as planned
Choose The Right Paint
There are six different kinds of interior paint, including:
- Matte: This has no sheen or finish to it and is most commonly used on walls. It is good for hiding imperfections, however, matte paint does need to be touched up much more frequently and is easily marked.
- Matte Enamel: Similar to matte, this paint isn’t damaged or marked as easily. It’s also easily cleaned so it is a great paint for kitchens where things might splash onto the wall more frequently.
- Satin: This paint provides a sheen but isn’t glossy. While this is a great paint for rooms where frequently cleaning may occur, it does tend to be unforgiving when it comes to imperfections in the wall.
- Eggshell: While this paint hides imperfections a bit better than satin, it does have a shine to it that some may not enjoy. That being said, it usually takes much less eggshell paint than matte to fully cover a wall.
- Semi-Gloss: This shiny paint is typically used on trim rather than walls and is very easy to clean with just soap and water. It’s easy to apply and usually only takes one coat.
- Gloss: Although you can use gloss paint on walls, the level of shine makes it unappealing to most. Gloss also shows all imperfections, so it is typically used on the trim.
Whichever paint you choose, keep in mind that each has a different drying time. Paints with more shine will take longer to dry.
Prepare Your Room For Paint
In painting your home, preparation is key to making sure that your painting project turns out the way you want it. Among other things, this means that you need to be certain that your surfaces are dry and free of dirt and debris before you begin to paint and that all obstacles are removed.
A few days before painting, be sure to move all of the furniture away from the walls, dust, and wipe down all areas that will get a fresh coat. If there are any rough spots, consider taking sanding paper and smoothing out the surface, however, if the paint is more than 40 years old, be sure to get it tested for lead before you sand. If any repairs need to be made, this is the time to do them.
Just before beginning your painting project, protect your floors by applying painter’s tape and rosin paper on top. Remove any hardware around windows, doors, or other areas that you don’t want to paint. Apply liquid glass guard about two inches around the panes of all windows – or use painter’s tape.
Ventilation
Make sure that the room you are painting is well-ventilated. If this isn’t possible, consider using a window fan to help circulate air throughout the room. If possible, be sure not to work in a room where the temperature is too cold or hot as this can lead to headaches and dizziness.
This also raises another important point that should be considered anytime you are completing work in your home: be sure that you take care of yourself. If you find that you are experiencing negative health effects when you are working in your home, stop what you are doing and rest. If you continue to feel bad, seek medical attention.
Paint In The “Proper” Sequence
The majority of professional painters tackle a project in the following sequence:
- Window Sashes
- Trim
- Cut In Edges
- Walls
What is “cutting in”? This means taking a brush and carefully painting a few inches around the trim. This way, the walls can be completed quickly with a roller without having to get the roller too close to the edges.
When using a roller, don’t apply too much pressure, otherwise, you will leave lines on the walls.
Painting from top to bottom for each layer is also a way to ensure that you can avoid imperfections and overlaps. For instance, if you paint the top of a wall first, then get your roller on the wall at the bottom, you will likely end up painting over some of what you just painted.
Be Patient – Let The Paint Dry
This is often the most difficult part about painting, after all, you want to enjoy your fabulous remodel! But it’s very important to let the paint dry for at least 5 – 6 hours, if not overnight. Then you can remove the glass guard or tape, replace all of the hardware, and sit back and admire your work!